stop talking about comic books or i'll hug you

captain marvel

Better yet, the new series is being written by Kelly Sue DeConnick, and while I've not read her Norman Osborn mini, she wrote a fantastic one-shot about Sif a couple of years ago. She and costume designer Jamie McKelvie have started by putting Carol in a new costume that covers her from neck to toe, and while I did find the old red sash terribly dashing, I have to say that they're starting off on the right foot.

All that said, there's something kind of dated about the name, don't you think? The intent behind the creation of the "Ms." title was to supply a formal title of respect for women that was neither dependent upon nor indicative of her marital status. And I think it succeeded... mostly. I use it. I certainly prefer it to "Mrs." But I nonetheless can't help but feel like there's an auxiliary-thing going on there. Like... Punisher and Lady Punisher, you know? Who is she? She's the Punisher! If the Punisher were a lady!

Uh... wha?

Ms. Marvel — the same powers as Captain Marvel, plus boobs! I'm making light here obviously, but at the time of her creation Ms. Marvel was both a progressive character and a progressive idea. The feminist movement hit a really spectacular high in the 1970s and Gerry Conway was not shy about exploring the issues of the modern woman as well as he could in the context of a superhero comic. I mean, those old books are really something to be proud of. I think, in many ways, they're more cutting edge than most of what we're putting out today. And the name was perfect — it told you exactly what to expect from the book, exactly what he wanted to explore.

And this isn't going to be a book about alcoholism; but it is a book about an alcoholic--if that makes sense. I think part of what makes people respond to Carol -- what makes me respond to her, certainly, are these imperfections -- in the language of recover, these "character defects."

But she's not... she's not a mess. She's not a train wreck. She's an amazing person--an overachiever, who was her own woman, accomplished and remarkable before she ever had powers. And now? Even more so. I'm interested in the fact that she makes mistakes, that's she's quick-tempered and a bit of a control freak. I like those things about her.